Ultimate Intimidation

My cousin's husband has a fight coming up on June 8th!

Anyone who watches this should keep an eye out for him!

Read his Article HERE

Holy Crap! He looks scary!!!

What I did on my Memorial Weekend...

Well I of course went out and visted the graves. I really like doing this and I get sad when I see graves without flowers. Makes me think that people don't remember them - or at least don't ever come out to visit. I know it's hard for many people, and others just don't think of visiting a grave as a tradition, but I like it. I don't sit and say a prayer, get pensive, or even cry - I just try to decorate their grave as a little - "You are still in my thoughts" and "I'm glad to have known you, so here are some flowers". Even my great grandparents whom I didn't even know get a visit. I can't help wondering what they were like and how it came to be that they were buried within a couple square blocks of each other.




Other than that I put on new bike racks onto my car -




I put on new grippers on my little Schwinn -



And I got the outline of my tattoo. My guy says it will take an addition 5 hours of coloring to get it finished, although I will most likely have to get a job before doing any more work, as my moolah is limited. Especially after my visit to the East Coast for the next two weeks.




What did YOU do on your vacations (other than see crappy Pirates)...

Summer of Shit

I just saw Pirates part 3. It sucked my butt. I am so upset at the ending of this movie, that I am currently re-writing the ending and am going to film it later this summer, using stop animation.

What a pile.

I was so excited to see this film, that the last 20 minutes made me hold my breath in order to NOT see what I KNEW they were going to do at the end. Maybe if I held my breath, I would've passed out, and then never have seen the ending.

I also predict the last Harry Potter book is going to blow. Basically they are going to kill Harry Potter as he is most likely going to be a horcrux. So that way no one will write additional books and J.K. Rowling can sit and watch the money roll in while adoring young fans end up hating her.

Blech. I'm disgusted. I'm going to go work on my new screenplay ASAP.

Sad Sad World

I am saddened and upset at this.

READ STORY HERE


But this sums up all the freaks that hang around campus while going to CSU perfectly

Panty Thief

Fine Livin'

My weekend was pretty average. I went out on Saturday night with Greg to go see a heavy metal band. This heavy metal was pretty good - and actually had groupies. All of which looked barely 20 years old. The band's oldest member was 24, so I guess it's only natural to supposed that all people at this show were that age and younger. But man, did it make me feel old. I walk in there and the bartender alone didn't look old (or experienced) enough to be handing me a beer. As I turned around I sat a table next to about 6 young college kids, one of which looked like he was 14, weighed 85 pounds, and was wearing a rock bandana. Good thing he had facial hair. Otherwise I would've checked his ID.
heh heh heh....

But the real story is what the heck happened to Westport? Westport is the downtown area where most younger people go drinking. When I was in high school, we would go downtown and hang out at local coffee shops before we ventured onto the Westport Flea Market. As I graduated, I moved down there and lived and went to college. Amber lived there for years and I must say I spent more than my fair share of paycheck at the local record stores.
So, what the hell happened? Each time I've been down there within the time I've moved here, mass tons of kids UNDER 21 have been hanging out, and causing disputes. Last Saturday after I left Greg's show, he called to make sure I got home okay, cause it 'erupted'. He said as he was sitting in traffic some kids got into a fist fight ON his car, as well as all over the main street. I'm imagining like West Side Story, but without all the dance moves.
Last night my mom and I watched the news where 4 people were shot and killed after the metal show on Saturday. Needless to say, I doubt I will be going down there to hang out anymore.
Of course that didn't stop me from going down (during the day) to make my tattoo appointment. I go in on the 29th for my outline. I'm really excited, and Greg's buddy is going to draw it from scratch so it's very custom.

So I guess I'm stuck in suburbia for a little while longer. That is, until I find a new place to hang out. I'll take any suggestions!

She is tolerable, I suppose. But not handsome enough to tempt me!

Okay KC Misery. What is going on? I was politely walking to the grocery store yesterday to pick up some eggs. No - I'm not going to relate the tale from 40 Year Old Virgin where he went home and really wanted an egg salad sandwhich - but I DID really want deviled eggs!

As I was walking past the BBQ smoker thing out in the parking lot of Hen House (what a name for a grocery store - but you can't beat King Soopers) the big guy manning the smoker said either, "Nice ASS" or "Nice Tats". I am inclined after much thought it was the latter. But what if it wasn't? WHAT THE HELL KIND OF PLACE DO I LIVE IN NOW????

I kept on walking and proceeded to my new bank where the teller was asking me about my tattoos as well. Is this a form of politeness? Flattery? Just conversation? Living in Capital Hill for so long has made me unacustomed to having people even mention my body art - as most people have more colorful and a greater quantity than me.

So in true form of being bored in the suburbs, I pondered this new occurance and decided to make an appointment with a tattoo artist refered to me by my friend, Greg. I just sent him an email today, in order to schedule a consultation. As much as I want a new tattoo, the lack of income is seriously deterring me from this path.
But after much deliberation on my other blog, I have narrowed down the decision to this pic:

I would like to vary the colors as I'm not very excited about that gold. I really like reds, greens, and blues so maybe more vibrant and make that koi the typical orange, white and black. And what do you think about that scroll? Keep it, or have her doing something else?

Hmmm.....

Viva Va VOOOOOOM!!!

Check out the new Vivavavoom's blog at

www.abluestateofmind001.blogspot.com

The former This and That is getting more and more hilarious!!!

Recovery and Displacement

After a 2 week hiatus, I am back on the blog roll. Thanks for being patient with me. The last couple of weeks have been harder than I thought. I want to thank everyone for the good thoughts, messages, emails, and calls for Rebecca.

Rebecca and her family loved the below posts and comments. I wanted to leave them up for a couple weeks as they were getting 40 + hits per day.

As for me, I'm trying to move on and get a routine going. It's been pretty hard. Last week was my first week and weekend here in KC. It's been rougher than I thought. I'm still a bit weepy from Matt's death, and keeping busy here at my mom's has been my main priority. I've also tried to get back onto my bike saddle (so to speak).
Now, when I moved back, I knew that Kansas City was different from Denver in many ways. I knew from my mom that it is a lot less bike friendly. Well, nothing prepared me for my first ride along the new Southern Platte 'bike path' near my mom's neighborhood. A pair of sidewalks put in along Highway 45 connecting Parkville to Kansas City. I thought it might be an interesting ride - and I wasn't wrong. As I rode this 'bike path' and got a response from one drive by car, "GET A CAR" and another closer to the end of the path, "NICE ASS!!!! WOOOO!!!" As I turned off the bike path down a busier street to circle back into my mom's neighborhood, I got honked at (as if to say "get off the road") and as I waved at a car to thank them for NOT pulling out in front of me, I got an old man mouthing something close to, "%$#@*# bicyclist!"
Needless to say I won't be riding THAT path without my ipod!

So Saturday I went to see my rock star friend Greg's band play. It was really fun to see him rocking out like a heavy metal superstar. He was really good, and their band was a lot heavier than I thought. But all the same, I felt displaced. Old people, old places, and yet I still feel like I don't fit in. Even at his show, there weren't any people I could identify with. I awoke Sunday morning severely depressed. Although today I'm feeling better and excited to join the bike club tomorrow, I am starting to feel the pangs of relocation. I've already enrolled in a Spanish class, and am excited to visit my dad the first couple weeks of June - after which I'm debating on St. Louis or trucker road trip with Denny. It really depends on my money situation!

So as I prepare to go downtown to ride my bike around the airport in a somewhat less exciting but safer environment, I'll leave you with some pictures Josh made for me.

Memorial for Matt

Rebecca has requested that the time and location of the celebration of
Matt's life be kept amongst her friends and family. (NO MEDIA.)



She is expecting several hundred people and there is no limit on space,
as the facility is being donated. She would like any and all friends to
join her in celebrating Mathew's life. Also she would like the dress for
the occasion to be casual.


If anyone would like to attend, feel free to email me for directions.
It is at 3:00 Saturday, and I'll check my email periodically tomorrow.

Please Pray for Rebecca

Killer angry about fumes from businessSheriff's Office could change search tactics in similar situations

by SARA REED SaraReed@coloradoan.com

Barry Shebs shot and killed Matthew Gulakowski through a small hole near the ceiling of Shebs' unit at a commercial park east of Fort Collins, Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said Tuesday.

Gulakowski, 35, was found shot six times Monday in his unit at the Mulberry Commercial Park, 2649 E. Mulberry St., about 4:15 p.m., setting off an hours-long search for a gunman in the commercial park. Four hours later, Shebs, 45, was found hanging in his unit, which was adjacent to Gulakowski's.

The case could prompt the Sheriff's Office to conduct investigations differently into similar situations, Alderden said.

Shebs lived in a camper in his unit, Alderden said. It was a zoning violation for Shebs to live in the unit, and the owner of the unit said he did not know Shebs was living there and would not have allowed him to continue living there had he known.

Alderden said a specific time of death had not been established for Shebs.

Shebs fired six shots from a .357-caliber Magnum Ruger revolver through a 4-by-4-inch hole about 12 feet up the wall, Alderden said. There was a loft under the hole, Alderden said, and it appears Shebs was lying in wait for Gulakowski.

Gulakowski was almost done moving his custom woodworking business, Pro Formance Creations, out of the unit when he was shot, Alderden said. Shebs had complained to many people, including the Sheriff's Office on one occasion, about the fumes coming from Gulakowski's business, Alderden said.

The two men also had a disagreement regarding snow removal following one of the heavy snowfalls the area received late last year.

There is some indication that the dispute contributed to Gulakowski relocating his business, Alderden said.

In the complaint he made to the Sheriff's Office on Jan. 11, Shebs said he thought the fumes were military gas, Alderden said, and that he had an "organic gas mask" to protect himself.
Investigators found an 18-page letter in Shebs' unit detailing his complaints about the fumes, the last four pages of which were written Monday, Alderden said. In the letter, Shebs indicated that he knew Gulakowski was moving but that it "wouldn't stop the harassment" and he had to do something to stop it.

Alderden said he was not aware if Shebs had a diagnosed mental illness or history of mental-health problems. Shebs also did not have a local criminal history and only a "minor offense" in Utah, Alderden said.

The discovery of the hole Shebs used in the shooting caused some re-evaluation of the method used to clear the scene, Alderden said.

Alderden said the units with people inside them were evacuated and cleared once and then locked units were cleared from the perimeter in. Immediately following the shooting, deputies knocked on the door to Shebs' unit but did not get an answer and the door was locked, he said.
As they searched, a Sheriff's Office spokeswoman told at least one news outlet that a gunman could be on the loose in the area.

When investigators learned of the dispute between the two men, the SWAT team immediately went to Shebs' unit and found the door had been barricaded, Alderden said.
In retrospect, Alderden said, it might have been better to clear the units closest to the crime scene first.

The discovery of the hole also cleared up a lot of initial confusion during the investigation, Alderden said.

Investigators had a witness who saw Gulakowski being shot but couldn't understand how that witness couldn't have seen the shooter, Alderden said. It also explained why no shell casings were found at the scene, he said.

In a camper in Shebs' unit, investigators also found a television showing a closed-circuit camera feed from a camera that showed activity in front of the two units.

Rebecca and Matt at my Halloween party. I just saw them at my going away party, where Matt was complaining about the friggin' murderer. He was so excited to be moving into an actual shop. I feel really helpless right now.